Bel
Bel is the ruler of the First, also called Avernus, gate to the Hells from other realms. He stands bastion against intruders, demonic or otherwise. The other Archdevils do not recognise Bel's authority, for he gained his title by overthrowing his lover, thus his other title: The Pretender. Bel rose through the ranks of Hell by his own cunning, setting an inspirational example for many lesser devils. Bel lends power to the violent and warlike. History Bel was a mortal soul that had made a deal with a fiend in the Nine Hells, but has risen through the ranks to become an Archdevil, his example is what many of the souls bound to Avernus aspire to. The Struggle of Promotion Bel was birthed into the Nine Hells as a lemure, the lowest of the low in the devil caste system, working his way up through many of the forms a devil can take until finally he answered directly to Zariel, the former lord of the First as well as, if rumours are to believed, Bel's lover. Betrayal of Zariel During the Blood War, Zariel fought the demons that were pouring into the Nine Hells via the river Styx, holding the line as she desperately sought to take the fight into the Abyss itself. She had ordered the pit fiend Bel, her greatest general to lead a flanking attack that was key to her assault, the two forces to pincer around the demon forces. Instead Bel and his legions traveled past the demon hordes into the river Styx itself, and as Zariel was left battling the emboldened demons on the banks of the river, Bel gathered a great host from the Empire of Turath over three days which he led back into the Nine Hells and destroyed the demon hordes which had nearly overwhelmed Zariel who stood with only her elite guard remaining. When Zariel saw who had come to save her, she lashed out at her once trusted lieutenant, the former angel would normally outmatch the pit fiend, but with his many cohorts of legions still intact, and her having just fought endlessly for days, the two fought to a stalemate until Asmodeus himself stepped in, elevating Bel to the rank of archdevil, and demoting Zariel who was forced to yield to the new ruler of Avernus. This action was considered one of biggest shifts in power during the Blood War, and many see it as a major blow against the Empire of Turath, whose forces were now divided between those that sought to establish a realm in Tolas, and those that sought to repel the invaders in the Hells themselves. Constant War Avernus is in a constant state of conflict, whether it be with the invading demons, upstart warlords carving a name for themselves, or other creatures bursting forth into the Nine Hells to bring their wrath or retribution upon the plane. Bel must contend with all of these and more, as the schemes and plans of other Archdevils seep into his strategies and grand designs as he conducts his wars. Description As Bel has ascended the ranks of the fiendish hierarchy, he has had many forms over the centuries, with his most well known being that of a great pit fiend that stood fifteen feet tall and bearing a dread greataxe, which is the form he often adopts when wading into battle surrounded by his legion cohorts. His torso is hollow with his rib cage exposed, many saying that in his battle with Zariel, the wrathful angel snatched the fiend's heart out of his chest with her burning hands. Tieflings Many of the tieflings that bear the heritage of Bel were spawned in the Turathi Empire, the mortal servants bred to serve in the Blood War between devils and demons that spilled into the lands of Farthrone. The most common trait associated with tieflings of Bel are wings, which can manifest as ragged and bat-like, or in rarer cases as cloaks of red feathers which resemble those of Zariel, pointing to perhaps a deeper connection than the two entities have let on. Some tieflings might have pronounced rib cages, or sometimes have an irregular or even no heart beat. Relationships with other Archdevils After his betrayal of Zariel, Bel began a purge on elements he deemed weak within the legions fighting on Avernus, many of which were the agents and forces of the other Archdevils. Few then see Bel as an ally, with those that had preferred Zariel's single minded fury to this Pretender to the throne of the First, though with many of their agents slain, few could move against the most recently appointed Archdevil, and so he has been tolerated up till now. Bel is reputed to have had a good relationship with Tiamat, though he was against the Dragon Queen departing the Hells as it untethered the realm from Tolas, losing a invaluable source of foot soldiers for the legions. Rumours say that it was Zariel who facilitated the release of the Eyrie and whispered dark secrets she had learned into the ears of an inquisitor of the Hand of Tiamat to share this forgotten lore of planar movements with his Queen. Cult Bel inherited the Cult of Zariel on the mortal plane when he usurped her, which flourished in areas wracked by war. Refugees with the will to fight but lacking experience are drawn to Bel and his generals, as well as those warriors looking for an extra edge to defeat their opponents, be it in war or in matters of honour. Avernus Legends speak of Averbus being a bustling realm filled with cities, trade outposts, and works of art from a more enlightened age that few but Asmodeus himself can recall. It has been reduced to a blasted wasteland after untold centuries of conflict, the few surviving structures are citadels that fiends use to repel attackers, with most looming over the river Styx or on the borders of portals to other realms. Category:Archdevils Category:The Nine Hells Category:Fiends